Communication device, image storage device, image pickup device, and control method thereof

ABSTRACT

When a communication device sends an image pickup instruction signal to an image pickup device by remote control, positional information obtained by the communication device is also sent. Upon reception of the image pickup instruction signal, the image pickup device performs image pickup. When storing a taken image, the positional information received is stored in the header of the image. Moreover, when searching an image stored in the image pickup device from the communication device, the image pickup device informs the communication device of search conditions (time information, positional information, and keyword) added to the image and positional information attribute (GPS information, base station ID, and character data). The communication device performs search by using the search condition and the positional information attribute informed by the image pickup device.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a technique used when a communicationdevice searches images stored in another device, and a technique offacilitating the search.

BACKGROUND ART

Recently, to facilitate creation of electronic albums and search ofimages, time information, positional information, and various conditionswhere an image was taken can be added to image data taken by an imagepickup device.

Also, suggestions have been made for image search using such informationadded to image data, including information about the name of the placewhere the image was taken, the address of the place, the date and time,the person who took the image, and a keyword.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-230999discloses a technique in which a mobile phone displays filenames,thumbnails, properties, etc. of images stored in a digital camera sothat a user can select a desired image, and the selected image is sentfrom the digital camera to the mobile phone.

Global Positioning System (GPS) information can be used for positionalinformation for specifying, e.g., the name or address of the place wherean image was taken.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-211364discloses a technique in which an image pickup device receives a GPSsignal for positional measurements and the positioning information issent to a server having a map information database. The server thenconverts the received positional information into map information andsends the map information back to the imagepickup device, and the imagepickup device stores the map information received from the server in aheader of the image data.

Not only GPS information but also base station ID numbers from publicbase stations in a mobile phone system, can be used for the positionalinformation. Thus, various kinds of positioning information are used.

Accordingly, a user cannot know whether image data stored in an imagepickup device is provided with GPS information or with base station IDnumbers, so that he/she cannot judge which positional information is tobe used when making an image search with positional information.

A user feels inconvenience also when searching not with positionalinformation but with information of other kinds, because it is not knownwhat kinds of search information are added to the image data stored inthe image pickup device.

Also, though some portable terminals, like mobile phones, are equippedwith a position measuring function using GPS or base station ID numbers,adding positional information about the image pickup location to animage taken by an image pickup device requires that the image pickupdevice be equipped with a position measuring function using GPS or basestation ID numbers, or that the image pickup device obtain positioninginformation from another device having a position measuring function.

Equipping the image pickup device with a position measuring functionprevents size reduction of the image pickup device.

Also, when obtaining positioning information from another device, theimage pickup device requests the other device to send positioninginformation, and the other device receives the request, measures theposition, and sends the result to the image pickup device, whichrequires establishment of connection just to obtain the positioninginformation.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to simplify the operation ofsearching image data and reduce the burden of a user.

Another object of the present invention is to enable a user to beinformed of attributes of search conditions that are added to the imagedata to be searched.

Another object of the present invention is to enable easy search evenwhen positional information of various attributes are added to images.

Another object of the present invention is to enhance efficiency ininforming an image pickup device of positional information.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a radio communication system RC1 accordingto an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a mobile terminal 3according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of an image pickup device 2according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an operation of the embodiment in which themobile terminal 3 sends a shutter release signal and positionalinformation to the image pickup device 2;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an operation of the embodiment in which theimage pickup device 2 receives the shutter release signal and positionalinformation from the mobile terminal 3;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an operation of the embodiment that the mobileterminal 3 performs when the mobile terminal 3 searches for an imagestored in the image pickup device;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an operation of the embodiment that the imagepickup device 2 performs when the mobile terminal 3 searches for animage stored in the image pickup device;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a screen that a display 211 ofthe mobile terminal 3 of the embodiment displays when the mobileterminal 3 has obtained an attribute of positional information;

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a search condition settingscreen that appears during a process in which the mobile terminal 3searches images stored in the image pickup device according to theembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a search attribute settingscreen that appears during the process in which the mobile terminal 3searches images stored in the image pickup device according to theembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a screen for selecting a mode of themobile terminal 3 of the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a search condition setting screen of themobile terminal 3 that appears in an automatic mode in the embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen of themobile terminal 3 that appears in the automatic mode in the embodimentof the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION First Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a radio communication system RC1 accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

The radio communication system RC1 includes a plurality of GPSsatellites 1 located at an altitude of about 20,000 Km in space, animage pickup device 2 such as a digital camera, a mobile terminal 3 suchas a mobile phone connected by radio to the image pickup device 2 andremotely controlling the image pickup device 2, a server 5 having apositional information database provided on the Internet, and aplurality of relay stations (base stations) 4 connected to the server 5.

The mobile terminal 3 is capable of remotely controlling the imagepickup device 2 to instruct the image pickup device 2 through a radiochannel, e.g., to take an image. When the mobile terminal 3 sends ashutter release signal (image pickup instruction signal) to the imagepickup device 2, the mobile terminal 3 obtains as positional informationfrom the relay station 4 a base station ID to the place where the imageis taken, or the mobile terminal 3 obtains GPS information as positionalinformation from the GPS satellite 1. When the mobile terminal 3provides an image pickup instruction by remote control, the mobileterminal 3 sends the positional information to the image pickup device 2together with the shutter release signal. As the positional information,character data entered by a user may be sent. The mobile terminal 3 alsohas a function to search image data recorded in the image pickup device2, and time information, positional information, and a keyword added tothe image data can be used as search conditions for sending the imagedata.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the mobile terminal 3 ofthe embodiment.

The mobile terminal 3 includes a Bluetooth radio section 214 and amobile terminal body 220.

The Bluetooth radio section 214 includes a Bluetooth communication radiocircuit 218 having a communication antenna 219, a CPU 217 forcontrolling the Bluetooth radio section 214, a link baseband controller(LBC) 216, and an external interface 215 serving as an interface withthe mobile terminal body 220.

The radio circuit 218 performs digital modulation, spectral spreading,signal level amplification, etc. The CPU 217 and the LBC 216 have afunction as a link manager performing radio link establishment, signalcoding/decoding, etc.

The external interface 215 has a function as a host command interface(HCI).

The mobile terminal body 220 includes a public network antenna 201 forradio communication by a mobile telephone system, a radio communicationsection 202 for sending, to the mobile phone communication relay station4, voice data or image data multiplexed according to a given format, asend/receive buffer 203 for temporarily storing send/receive data, a RAM204 serving as a working area for processing by a CPU 206 that controlsthe entire functions, and a PROM 205 for storing programs for operatingthe CPU 206 and various kinds of data, such as addresses of destinationsof communication.

The mobile terminal body 220 further includes a voice/video identifyingsection 207 for identifying multimedia information as voice data andimage data, an LCD controller 208 for controlling an LCD, aninput/output section 209 including an operation section 210 having amicrophone, a speaker, a camera, key buttons, etc. and a display 211 fordisplaying an image controlled by the LCD controller 208, a positionalattribute information receiver 212 for obtaining and storing attributesof positional information sent from another device, a positionalinformation transmitter 213 for transmitting, when instructingimage-taking, data including positional information received from theGPS satellite 1, the relay station 4, etc., and a GPS receiver 221 forreceiving GPS information from the GPS satellite 1.

The mobile terminal 3 of the embodiment is equipped with a GPS receiver,but, in the absence of a GPS receiver, the positional informationdescribed below will include the base station ID of the relay station 4or character data entered by a user.

When the mobile terminal 3 is equipped with the GPS receiver 221, theoperation section 210 can be operated to select positional informationto be sent to the image pickup device 2, from among positionalinformation received by the GPS receiver 221, the base station IDreceived from the relay station 4, and character data (letter data etc.)entered through the operation section 210. If the GPS receiver 221cannot receive GPS information when the mobile terminal 3 sendspositional information, or if no base station ID can be received fromthe relay station 4, then any currently transmittable positionalinformation is automatically sent independently of the selection,whereby positional information can be sent to the image pickup device 2whenever possible.

The positional information sent to the image pickup device 2 may be oneof the GPS information, base station ID, and character data, or may betwo or all of them. This setting can also be made through operation ofthe operation section 210.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the image pickup device2 of the embodiment.

The image pickup device 2 includes a Bluetooth radio section 313 and animage pickup device body 319.

The Bluetooth radio section 313 has similar functions to those of themobile terminal 3.

The image pickup device body 319 includes an image pickup section 301for focusing an image of the target on a light receiving surface andperforming photoelectric conversion, an image processor 302 forperforming pixel-number conversion and various corrections includinggamma correction, contrast correction, etc., a compression/decompressionsection 303 for providing compression control to compress image data byJPEG, MPEG, etc. according to the image pickup mode and providingexpansion control (decompression) to display image data on a display306, and the display 306 for displaying obtained image data.

The image pickup device body 319 further includes an input/outputsection 304 including an operation section 305 for shutter operation andvarious settings, a CPU 307 including a microcomputer mainly supervisingcontrol of an image pickup device, a positional information obtainingsection 308 for obtaining positional information sent from thepositional information transmitter 213 of the mobile terminal 3, animage search condition obtaining section 309 for obtaining conditionsfor image search, a positional attribute information transmitter 310 fortransmitting attributes of positional information added to image datarecorded in a storage medium 311, and an image search section 312 forsearching images according to an image search condition.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an operation of the embodiment in which themobile terminal 3 sends a shutter release signal and positionalinformation to the image pickup device 2.

First, when a user operates the operation section 210 to set the mobileterminal 3 in a mode for remotely controlling the image pickup device 2,the GPS receiver 221 starts reception of GPS information from the GPSsatellite 1 and a connection is made with the image pickup device 2according to Bluetooth specification (S401).

Next, an image pickup button of the operation section 210 is depressedto send a shutter release signal to the image pickup device 2 from theBluetooth antenna 219 of the mobile terminal 3 (S402). At the same time,positional information previously selected to be sent is obtained (S403)and sent to the image pickup device 2 through the positional informationtransmitter 213 and the Bluetooth antenna 219 (S404). That is to say,according to a setting on the operation section 210, one, or two, or allof the base station ID received from the relay station 4 through thepublic network antenna 201, the GPS information received from the GPSsatellite 1 through the GPS receiver 221, and character data entered aspositional information through operation of the operation section 210,are obtained and transmitted in response to the depression of the imagepickup button.

Then, the display 211 displays the attribute or attributes of thetransmitted positional information to let the user know the attribute(s)of the positional information that has been actually added to the image(S405). The display made in the step S405 shows whether the transmittedpositional information includes the GPS information, base station ID, orcharacter, or, in addition, also shows the actually transmitted latitudeand longitude information, base station ID number, or character data.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a screen indicating anattribute of the transmitted positional information on the display 211of the mobile terminal 3, which shows that the base station ID was sentas positional information.

The mobile terminal 3 is constructed in the form of a common mobilephone having an antenna 801 (201), a speaker 802, a display 804 (211),an operation section 806 (210), and a microphone 807, where thetransmitted positional information attribute 805 is displayed at thebottom right of the screen. Needless to say, the positional informationattribute 805 may be displayed at the top of the screen or at the bottomleft.

The user checks the positional information attribute 805 to know theattribute of the positional information transmitted to the image pickupdevice 2.

When the transmitted positional information includes a plurality ofattributes, that is, when a plurality of positional informationattributes are available in image search, the attributes may bedisplayed together, or may be indicated to the user as “Station IDetc.”, for example. Also, some mark, e.g. “x”, may be displayed withpositional information attributes that the mobile terminal 3 is set notto select for transmission, and with positional information attributesthat the mobile terminal 3 failed to send due to an error. Theattributes may be displayed on the screen only when an image searchapplication is active, or may be always displayed on the screen.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an operation in which the image pickup device 2receives the shutter release signal and positional information from themobile terminal 3 in the embodiment.

The image pickup device 2 makes a connection with the target mobileterminal 3 according to the Bluetooth specification (S501). Then, theBluetooth radio section 313 and the positional information obtainingsection 308 of the image pickup device 2 receive the shutter releasesignal and positional information from the mobile terminal 3 (S502), andthe image pickup section 301 takes an image. The received positionalinformation is stored in the header of the taken image data asinformation about the image pickup location (S503) and held in thestorage medium 311.

Next, according to the embodiment, an image search operation performedon the mobile terminal 3 side will be specifically described.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an operation in which the mobile terminal 3 andthe image pickup device 2 are connected by radio and the mobile terminal3 searches for an image.

First, an image search program stored in the PROM 205 of the mobileterminal 3 is activated to start an image search (S601).

Next, with the setting screen shown in FIG. 9, the operation section 210is operated to select a desired search condition from among timeinformation, positional information, and keyword, and then adetermination button is depressed to set a search condition (S602).

The “time information” at least includes the date and time when theimage was taken, and the “positional information” at least includes thelatitude and longitude information based on GPS information, the basestation ID sent from the relay station to the mobile terminal, anaddress represented by character data such as “Japan, Tokyo, Shibuya,2-Δx1-3”, and a place name represented by character data such as“Univers?l Stud?o Japan” or “Mt. Fuji”.

The keyword is character data, such as “wedding” and “travel to Hawaii”.Then, whether the search condition is the positional information orother information is checked (S603). When time or keyword is selected asthe search condition, information for requesting a search based on theselected search condition, i.e., a command for requesting a search withtime information or keyword and the time information or keyword used forthe search, are transmitted to the image pickup device 2 to start thesearch (S604). Then, the retrieved image data is received from the imagepickup device 2 (S616).

On the other hand, when it is judged that the positional information hasbeen selected as a search condition (S603), a command for requesting asearch based on positional information is sent to the device that themobile terminal 3 is connected with (the image pickup device 2 herein)(S605).

When the image pickup device 2 receives the request for a search withpositional information and finds that some image data having positionalinformation is stored in the storage medium 311, the image pickup device2 sends, to the mobile terminal 3, the attribute(s) of the positionalinformation added to the image data stored therein. The mobile terminal3 obtains the attribute(s) of the positional information from the imagepickup device 2 through the Bluetooth radio section 214 and thepositional attribute information receiver 212 (S606), and the positionalattribute information is given to the CPU 206.

The CPU 206 gives the obtained positional attribute information to theimage search program stored in the PROM 205 and also controls thedisplay 211 of the input/output section 209 through the LCD controller208 to display the obtained positional information attributes as shownin FIG. 10.

FIG. 10 shows an example in which all positional information attributes,including GPS, station ID, and character, have been obtained anddisplayed, but the display may not show positional attribute informationnot obtained, or the display may show obtained and not obtainedpositional information attributes in a distinguishable manner.

The “attribute” is “GPS” when GPS information is added to the imagedata, and the “attribute” is “station ID” when a base station IDcovering the mobile terminal is added to the image data, and the“attribute” is “character” when character data representing an addressor a place name is added to the image data.

Next, with the setting screen shown in FIG. 10, the operation section210 of the mobile terminal 3 is operated to select a desired imagesearch attribute from the obtained attribute information on the settingscreen shown in FIG. 10, and the determination button is depressed toset the search attribute (S607).

Now, different mobile communication service companies may use differenttypes of base station IDs, and so base station IDs of differentcompanies may have different formats and indicate different areas, inwhich case the user's mobile terminal 3 may be unable to specify (send)a base station ID of some company as a search condition.

It is therefore necessary to check whether the base station IDs added tothe headers of image data stored in the storage medium 311 of the imagepickup device 2 are of the same type as the base station IDs that themobile terminal 3 has.

Accordingly, when base station ID is an attribute used as a searchcondition (S608), the positional information transmitter 213 transmits aspecial base station ID as a check station ID (S609). The ID of the basestation relating to the place where the user is performing the imagesearch is sent as this base station ID.

When a station ID agreement signal is received from the connected imagepickup device 2 (S610), the flow judges that base station IDs of thetype that corresponds to the user's mobile terminal 3 are added to imagedata stored in the image pickup device 2 (S611) and the flow moves tostep S613. On the other hand, when a message is received informing thatthere is no image data provided with base station IDs of the type thatcorresponds to the mobile terminal 3, the flow displays an error messageto indicate that base station ID cannot be used for the search (S612),prompts the user to change the search condition, and returns to the stepS602 for re-setting of the search condition.

The judgement in the step S611 may be achieved by adding identificationinformation for identifying the mobile phone company servicing themobile terminal 3, to the positional information sent with the shutterrelease signal when taking an image, and sending the identificationinformation for identifying the mobile phone company in place of thecheck station ID sent in the step S609, with the identificationinformation stored in the header as positional information.Alternatively, Bluetooth service discovery (SDP) may be performed toobtain company information about the station IDs added to the image datastored in the storage medium 311 of the image pickup device 2.

When a search condition other than base station ID is set in the stepS607, or when the base station ID type that corresponds to the user'smobile terminal 3 can be used as a search condition, the operationsection 210 of the mobile terminal 3 is operated to enter an address orplace name for the search (S613).

Next, on the basis of the entered address or place name, a positionalinformation to attribute conversion is performed using, e.g., anapplication stored in the PROM 205 of the mobile terminal 3 (S614). Inthe positional information to attribute conversion, the address or placename entered in the step S613 is converted to the selected positionalinformation attribute. Then, the position-related informationtransmitter 213 transmits the attribute information as a searchcondition to the image pickup device 2 (S615).

For example, when “GPS” is selected as the search attribute in the stepS607 and “Tokyo Tower” is entered in the step S613, then a conversion isperformed to obtain latitude and longitude information about “TokyoTower” and the position-related information transmitter 213 transmitsthe latitude and longitude information to the image pickup device 2.When base station ID is selected, the ID of the base station that covers“Tokyo Tower” is obtained, e.g., from a base station ID map, and theposition-related information transmitter 213 transmits the obtained basestation ID. The positional information to attribute conversion may beexecuted by an application, or may be processed by hardware.

The mobile terminal 3 may be equipped with various databases containinglatitude and longitude information, a base station ID map, etc., orinformation may be obtained from the server 5 through the relay station4. The search information converted by the positional information toattribute conversion is sent to the connected image pickup device 2, andthe image pickup device 2 performs a search according to the searchcondition, whereby a retrieved desired image is received from the imagepickup device 2 (S616).

Next, a specific example of operation performed on the image pickupdevice side will be described.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an operation of the embodiment in which theimage pickup device 2 performs a search according to an instruction fromthe mobile terminal 3.

The image pickup device 2 is connected by radio with the mobile terminal3 and receives a search request, and the image search conditionobtaining section 309 receives, through the Bluetooth radio section 313,the search condition information that the mobile terminal 3 has selectedin the step S602 and sent in the step S604 or S605 (S701). Then, the CPU307 checks the received information to see whether the search is to bedone with positional information or with time information or keyword(S702). When a search with positional information is being requested,the image search section 312 reads the attributes of positionalinformation contained in the headers of image data stored in the storagemedium 311 (S703).

When the search condition is “positional information”, the attributescan be “GPS”, “station ID”, and “character” including address and placename. When the storage medium 311 contains image data provided with anyof these attributes (S704), the positional attribute informationtransmitter 310 transmits the attribute(s) of the positional informationadded to the image data to the connected mobile terminal 3 through theBluetooth radio section 313 (S705). For example, when the storage medium311 contains image data provided only with GPS information as positionalinformation, “GPS” is sent as the attribute information, and when thestorage medium 311 contains image data with GPS information and imagedata with base station ID, or when the storage medium 311 contains apiece of image data with both of GPS information and base station ID,then “GPS” and “station ID” are transmitted as the attributeinformation. Needless to say, when there is image data provided withcharacter data, like address or place name, “character” is transmittedas the attribute information.

When receiving a check station ID from the connected mobile terminal 3(S706), the image search section 312 refers to the headers of the imagedata stored in the storage medium 311 to judge whether the stored basestation IDs are of the same format (S707). Though the method of makingthe judgement depends on the application, the judgement may be madeusing differential information between station IDs, or the judgement maybe made on the basis of some code for distinguishing station IDs ofdifferent companies.

When even one piece of image data is provided with a base station ID ofthe same format, a station ID agreement signal is sent to inform thepresence of image data that is provided with a base station ID of thetype that corresponds to the mobile terminal 3, whereby the connectedmobile terminal 3 is informed that a search can be performed with a basestation ID of that type (S708). On the other hand, in the absence ofimage data provided with the corresponding type of base station ID, amessage is sent to prompt the user to change the search condition(S713). Though the data thus sent depends on the application, the datamay be simply constructed so that 0 shows not handleable and 1 showshandleable.

On the other hand, when no check station ID is received, or when astation ID agreement signal is received in the step S708, then thesearch information that the mobile terminal has sent in the step S615 isreceived (S709), and the image search section 312 refers to the headersof the image data stored in the storage medium 311 and performscomparison and search to see whether any image data contains matchingpositional information (S710). When there is desired image data thatmatches the search condition (S711), that image data is sent to themobile terminal 3 (S712). When no data matches, a message is sent toinform the user of no match (S713).

When the step S702 judges that the search is not to be done withpositional information, i.e., when the search is to be done with timeinformation or a keyword, the image search section 312 refers to theheaders of the image data stored in the storage medium 311 (S714, S715)and performs comparison and search to see whether any image data matchesthe time information or keyword received from the mobile terminal 3(S710). When there is desired image data that matches the searchcondition (S711), that image data is sent to the mobile terminal 3(S712). When no data matches, a message is sent to inform the user of nomatch (S713).

The mobile terminal 3 of the embodiment has an automatic mode in which,even when the image search program is not active, positional attributeinformation is automatically obtained when a connection is made with apartner device.

When the automatic mode is selected, as shown in FIG. 13, attributes1300 of the positional information added to image data stored in theimage pickup device 2 are displayed before the image search program isactivated.

FIG. 13 shows an example in which the attributes of positionalinformation added to image data stored in the image pickup device 2include base station ID and GPS information.

In the automatic mode, the attributes of positional information added toimage data stored in the connected image pickup device 2 are alreadyknown when the image search application is activated, without the needto perform the steps S605 and 606 of FIG. 6. Accordingly, the searchcondition items, as shown in FIG. 9, can be displayed as more specificitems, as shown in FIG. 12, on the basis of the positional informationcontained in image data stored in the image pickup device 2, whichreduces the steps for specifying a search condition.

Also, a lock mode is provided in which, when the mobile terminal 3 isconnected to another image pickup device, the positional informationattribute selected last time is kept unchanged. That is, regularly usedimage pickup devices will all store image data provided with same kindsof positional information and so the lock mode removes the need toinquire of the image pickup device about positional informationattributes each time the mobile terminal 3 is connected to an imagepickup device, which shortens the time required for preparation of asearch.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a screen for setting of various modesin the embodiment.

The operation section 210 is operated to select a desired mode and thedetermination button is depressed to change the mode.

Second Embodiment

In a second embodiment of the present invention, the mobile terminal 3has an image pickup device function, and the mobile terminal having theimage pickup device function is equipped with the function of the imagepickup device described in the first embodiment, and an image pickupdevice or another mobile terminal is equipped with the function of themobile terminal described in the first embodiment.

In the description above, in response to a request from the mobileterminal 3 for a search based on positional information, the imagepickup device 2 informs the mobile terminal 3 of the attributes ofpositional information added to image data stored therein. However, inresponse to a search request from the mobile terminal 3, the imagepickup device 2 may inform the mobile terminal 3 of the types of searchconditions added to the stored image data (time information, keyword,and positional information). This shows, for example, whether there isimage data provided with a keyword, or whether there is image dataprovided with positional information, which avoids selection of anunusable search condition.

As described above, the present invention simplifies the operation ofsearching image data and reduces the burden of the user.

Also, the searching side, and hence its user, can be informed whichsearch conditions and attributes are added to the searched image data,which makes it possible to efficiently set a search condition.

Also, when positional information is selected as a search condition, thesearching side, and hence its user, can be informed which attributes ofpositional information are added to the image data, which makes itpossible to efficiently set a search condition when positionalinformation is used for the search.

It is also possible to efficiently inform the image pickup device of thepositional information.

1. A communication apparatus, comprising: a recognizing device forrecognizing at least an attribute of positional information that isadded to image data stored in a communicating party; a searching devicefor searching the image data stored in the communicating party based onthe recognized attribute of the positional information made by therecognizing device; a selecting device for selecting a desired one of aplurality of attributes recognized by the recognizing device; and ajudging device for judging whether or not a form of the attribute of thepositional information selected by the selecting device is utilizable inthe communication apparatus to search by said searching device.
 2. Acommunication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the judging devicemakes the judgement based on positional information that is added to theimage data stored in the communicating party.
 3. A communicationapparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display device fordisplaying the attribute of the positional information recognized by therecognizing device.
 4. A communication apparatus according to claim 1,further comprising an inquiry device for making an inquiry to thecommunicating party as to what attribute of a search condition is addedto the image data stored in the communicating party, wherein therecognizing device makes the recognition based on a result of theinquiry made by the inquiry device.
 5. A communication apparatusaccording to claim 4, wherein the inquiry device makes the inquiry eachtime the communication apparatus connects with the communicating partyin order to search the image data stored in the communicating party. 6.A communication apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising asetting device for setting a mode in which the inquiry device does notmake the inquiry even when the communication apparatus connects with thecommunicating party in order to search the image data stored in thecommunicating party.
 7. A communication apparatus according to claim 4,further comprising a setting device for setting a mode in which theinquiry device makes the inquiry when the communication apparatusconnects with the communicating party, independently of the search ofthe image data stored in the communicating party.
 8. A communicationapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the searching device comprises aconverting device for converting the positional information to a givensearch condition in accordance with the attribute of the positionalinformation recognized by the recognizing device, and an informingdevice for informing the communicating party of the search conditionconverted by the converting device.
 9. A communication apparatusaccording to claim 8, wherein the converting device converts thepositional information to the given search condition in accordance withthe attribute of the positional information selected by the selectingdevice.
 10. A communication apparatus controlling method, comprising: arecognizing step of recognizing at least an attribute of positionalinformation that is added to image data stored in a communicating party;a searching step of searching the image data stored in the communicatingparty based on the recognized attribute of the positional informationmade in the recognizing step; a selecting step of selecting a desiredone of a plurality of attributes recognized in the recognizing step; anda judging step of judging whether or not a form of the attribute of thepositional information selected in the selecting step is utilizable inthe communication apparatus to search by said searching step.
 11. Acomputer-executable program stored on a computer-readable storage mediumfor controlling a communication apparatus, comprising: a recognizingstep of recognizing at least an attribute of positional information thatis added to image data stored in a communicating party; a searching stepof searching the image data stored in the communicating party based onthe recognized attribute of the positional information made in therecognizing step; a selecting step of selecting a desired one of aplurality of attributes recognized in the recognizing step; and ajudging step of judging whether or not a form of the attribute of thepositional information selected in the selecting step is utilizable inthe communication device to search by said searching step.